Quran & the Baseline Problem

Hassan Saeed

Read time: 3 minutes

When we read about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ standing in prayer until his feet swelled, we feel it’s beyond us.

When we hear that he ﷺ recited Surah Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran, and An-Nisaa (a total of 104 pages) in a single Rak’ah of night prayer, we can barely imagine it.

When we learn that Abdullah ibn Amr, peace be upon him, made it a habit to recite the entire Quran once every week, we think, “That’s not for people like us.”

And then today, when we see people in Gaza reciting the entire Quran from memory in just one day, our first reaction is often disbelief.

But what if we’ve been looking at these stories the wrong way?

Changing Our Point of Reference

Many years ago, I wanted to start running as a way to add more physical activity into my daily routine.

I started with running 2 miles three times a week.

In my environment, this was considered impressive. My friends would comment on it as if it was something unique. I was proud of it, and honestly, I thought I was doing great.

Then I started following someone online who ran 10 miles every day as if it was nothing. Just a normal part of their routine.

That shifted everything for me. Suddenly, my 2 miles felt small because I realized I had been measuring myself against the wrong standard.

I was comparing myself against people who barely moved, when I should have been comparing myself against people who were pushing their limits.

That change in reference point showed me what was possible. It eventually led me to running 6 miles, three times more than when I started.

The Same Applies to Quran

If everyone around you doesn’t even read the Quran, while you have a habit of reading one page a day, that might feel like a great accomplishment. You might even feel proud, and you should! A page is definitely better than nothing.

But what if you followed people who read 10 pages daily? Who complete reading the Quran every month? Who have memorized it and review it constantly?

Suddenly, your one page doesn’t feel like the ceiling, but the starting point.

Our Environment

Since it’s not easy to change the people around us (our family, friends, and coworkers), let’s focus on our online environment (the influencers we follow, the content we consume, and the online communities we are part of.)

Think about it: Who are you following? Are they people who inspire you to do more with the Quran or people who make you feel comfortable staying where you are?

You Can Do More Than You Think

You don’t know what you’re capable of until you push beyond what feels comfortable.

Try a period of intensity:

• If you’re currently reading one page daily, start reading five pages for one week

• If you read 20 pages per week, try reading that every four days

• If you complete reading the Quran once a year, aim to do it once every few months

The goal isn’t to burn out, but to discover that your limits aren’t where you think they are.

So, in order to do more:

• Change your point of reference

• Change your environment (especially online)

• Test your limits by doing more than what you’re used to.

Don’t let someone else’s baseline be your ceiling, but rather your starting point.

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Learn How I Memorized the Quran: